High expectations for FIA WTCC Race of Slovakia

16th June 2015

A weekend full of motor racing excitement lies ahead with everything set for the FIA WTCC Race of Slovakia. Hopes, aspirations and top competition will be the order of the day as the manufacturer teams of Citroen, Honda and Lada take each other on and the rest of the tough independents in the competition.

Following the last race in Moscow, the temperature has warmed up among the competitors and Slovakia will also bring some new faces to the World Touring Car Championship. A debut for the young talented Argentinian Néstor Girolami and the local Slovakian hero to be Mato Homola, who will not only take part in the ETCC race at the weekend but step up to the “big boys” league, too. Another newcomer Nicky Catsburg who starred in Moscow will also join the Lada force together with Dutchman Jaap van Lagen.

The heat will not only be stepped up by the young blood rising through the ranks, but the veterans too, such as Honda’s Tarquini and Monteiro who feel they have not had their last word in the Championship and promise to give the leading Citroen team a real race.

Within Citroen, 4 times world Champion Yvan Muller is also stepping up the pressure on current Champion and frontrunner to renew the title, “Pechito” López. Nothing will be decided until the cars cross the chequered flag. For his part, 9 times Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb, who already had some success last year at the Slovakiaring, hopes he can start putting together a string of results that may catapult him to the top.

In terms of the YOKOHAMA Trophy, Norbert “Norby” Michelisz is still going strong and aiming higher and eyeing a podium finish. A spokesman for YOKOHAMA, the Japanese tyre manufacturer who is in its tenth anniversary as exclusive tyre supplier to the World Championship, expressed excitement at the forthcoming race. “The teams are ready, our Motorsport support team is ready, and our eyes are set on the Slovakiaring on Sunday. It is going to be great!” he concluded.